Palace Gardens and Gloriette

 So here we have the Schonbrunn palace, gardens and Gloriette.

From the steps of the palace you can look out across the extensive landscaped gardens with statues and fountains, the emperor would have been able to show this off to his favoured guests and then they could walk through  the grounds towards the gloriette; situated on a hill overlooking the gardens from a different perspective and from where he could entertain his guests with food and music while showing off his palace just to emphasis how rich and powerful he is. It is very grand and extremely decadent but as rulers of a large and expanding empire how could he live anywhere else.

The Heart of the Flower

It's cold outside and snow is promised for parts of the UK this coming weekend so I thought I would post something bright and colourful.

All of the above pictures were taken in the gardens at Powis Castle in April

A Splash of Colour

Today is my 200th blog posting and to celebrate I have been out taking some new pictures and I have chosen to flood this page with colour.

I visited Powis Castle near Welshpool and as well as the castle and gardens I took several macro images some of which you can see above. 

The first five pictures are of different varieties of Tulip, their vivid colours and abundance of pollen were a real treat for the eyes and an invitation to bees and other insects although I was surprised not to see too many bees today.

The final picture is of a bed of grape hyacinths around the base of a tree with a view across a lawn and with a glimpse of the castle itself through the branches.

The gardens are quite spectacular and so I look forward to sharing a few more of my photos soon.

Chirk Castle and Gardens

Chirk is one of my favourite castles, it has such character and having been in use for over 700 years there is so much interesting to see.  The gardens too are really beautiful with sculptured Yew hedges, expansive lawns and colourful beds.  There are secluded gardens to sit and relax and there are sculptures dotted around which add extra interest.  In the winter the woodland walk is a mass of snowdrops and well worth the drive to see it.

Today I have selected a few images of the castle and grounds.  I like the simplicity of the latch in the first photo and it works well as a black and white image.  I wonder how many hands have worked the latch and what lies on the other side of the door.

The picture of the castle itself reminds me a little of the castle in the opening credits of The Blackadder, I know it really isn't that similar but there is something about viewing the castle from this angle which makes me think about that scene.

The avenue of yews is part of the more formal garden close to the castle itself and I love the precision and attention to detail.

I am really pleased with the final picture, I love the round towers but I also love the ironwork of the gate which really is the main focus of this image.

I hope that you have enjoyed today's pictures, tomorrow I will post more of the grounds and the Chirk estate.